Cat Phones making up for lost time

British sailor Conrad Humphreys is moving up the Class 40 fleet in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, following an emergency pit stop for repairs to his yacht, Cat Phones, on Monday afternoon.

Conrad, 41, from Plymouth, was forced to divert to Camaret-sur-Mer for a replacement batten box to be fitted on the second reef as a result of damage caused in ‘brutal’ conditions on Day 1 of the 3,500 mile race, which started in Saint-Malo on Sunday.

It’s only day two of the race and six skippers have already retired from the Class 40's, victims of high winds and a destructive sea state which has affected many of the 91 entrants across all five classes.

Speaking from Cat Phones, Conrad said: “It was really necessary to pit stop yesterday and get the repairs done. Hugh Fletcher, our boat captain, was absolutely fantastic in getting the parts we needed and then managing such a good turnaround.

“The conditions were pretty lousy in the first 24 hours and it put a lot of stress on the boat. It was very tough and we knew it would be.

“There were really big waves getting over the Continental Shelf. I didn’t manage to eat or sleep so it was good to rest up in Camaret while the repairs were being carried out and I’m feeling much better now.

“It’s just great to be back out and in the race.  It’s settled down a bit now and Cat Phones is making good progress towards Finisterre.

“As for life on board the boat, it’s all about getting into the routine of things and I’ve regained my rhythm. I’ve not had an internet connection so one of my jobs today is to try and sort that out.

“And my focus is very much on making up for the lost time and making progress through the fleet.”

After his pit stop, Conrad described the Day 1 conditions as “pretty brutal”.  And Hugh Fletcher said: “Conrad told me he’d rarely seen conditions like it. The sea state was heinous, which we knew they would be; we were expecting it. There was a north-west running swell and conditions on all the Class 40 boats would have been very uncomfortable.

“I’m not surprised there have been so many problems with the fleet.”

But conditions should calm down in the next 24 hours: “The waves will still be 3-4 metres at the same angle but as he heads towards Cape Finisterre the waves will be coming on the beam, not the head,” said Hugh.

“The winds are 20-25 knots. So the conditions aren’t stable but they’re more predictable. Conrad’s aim will be to make up the 50-mile gap between him and the back of the fleet that’s ahead of him and then to make inroads through the fleet, which is spread over another 50 miles.

“I fully expect some of the boats to have to pit stop in Portugal or the Azores for repairs.

“Conrad had a great night last night and I think it was a good decision to carry out the repairs when we did. He’ll be pushing all the way from now.”

Since rejoining the race, Conrad has moved up to 24th in the Class 40 fleet. Of the 43 starters, 37 remain in the race.

Follow Conrad’s progress via his daily blogs and the race tracker at www.conradhumphreys.com